Can Microsoft Disrupt Google’s Dominance of Mobile

At the Build conference today Microsoft made a play to shift the device ecosystem to Windows. In the past Android ruled the device OS, Apple came in a distant second with iOS, and Microsoft was in last place, about four laps down. Part of the problem was from the carriers blocking Microsoft from getting on the device. This is Google’s battle to lose, they have essentially already won it and just need to not screw it up. Microsoft is betting that it can make the Windows platform attractive again and is making moves to allow any type of app to run on Windows 10.

Here is a breakdown of some of the announcements made today.

Porting Android and iOS apps to Windows 10 just became a breeze.

New SDK’s to port apps to Windows 10

iOS Objective C

Android Java and C++

.NET and Win32

Web sites

Windows 10 on one billion devices in three years

Windows Store for consumers and business

“For businesses, the Windows Store enables admins to highlight apps for their employees, distribute select apps from the Windows Store and private line-of-business apps to their employees, and use business payment methods like purchase orders.”

“Developers will be able to write an application once and distribute it to the entire Windows 10 device family, making discovery, purchasing and updating easy for customers.”

Universal Windows Platform

“With the Universal Windows Platform, developers can now create a single application for the full range of Windows 10 devices. The platform’s UX controls automatically adapt to different screen sizes, and the developer can then tailor applications to unique capabilities of each device. “

Continuum

New Continuum functionality in Windows 10 extends the Continuum functionality for PCs and tablets to phones, enabling people to use their phones like a PC for productivity or entertainment